Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is wholly responsible for Australia not having an emissions trading scheme, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.
In a speech on Thursday, Professor Ross Garnaut, who conducted the federal government's climate change review in 2007, said China was exercising more leadership than Australia on the issue of climate change.
Mr Swan said the federal government was "bitterly disappointed" about not having an ETS but the Liberal Party had "decided to destroy it".
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"We pushed the legislation through the parliament on the three occasions," the treasurer told ABC Television on Sunday.
"We were denied the legislation in the last few days by one Tony Abbott.
"The fact we don't have an emissions trading scheme right now is the sole responsibility of Tony Abbott."
The government had to do more in energy efficiency because the ETS legislation had failed, Mr Swan said.
